The present invention relates to a system and method for providing prepaid long distance calls, and more particularly, to a system and method for providing prepaid long distance service in an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN).
In a traditional long distance service billing arrangement, the customer is billed after the calls are made. However, this traditional billing arrangement may not be available to a customer with a poor credit rating or who has failed to pay long distance bills in the past.
One currently available option for this customer is to purchase a prepaid calling card, which permits the user to make telephone calls for a predetermined number of minutes. Prepaid calling cards each include a unique i.d. number. In order to use the prepaid calling card, the user first dials the long distance carrier (typically, an 800 number). The user then enters the i.d. number from the calling card and the telephone number that the user is attempting to call. If there are remaining minutes associated with that i.d. number, the call is connected. When the minutes associated with the i.d. number on the calling card are exhausted, the call is ended and the i.d. number cannot be used again to place a call. The user discards the spent prepaid calling card and must purchase a new calling card with a new i.d. number in order to make additional long distance calls. The number of minutes associated with a specific i.d. number is not replenished.